Top 5 Drones for the Holidays Expert Breakdown

DJI’s Phantom 3 Series drones are some of the overall best drones on the market in terms of value. They are super user-friendly and very popular. The Phantom 3 Advanced is the middle child of the series and is by far the best value in the group.

The Advanced comes with a camera that can shoot up to 2.7K video and 12 megapixel photos. Although this is similar to the specs of the Phantom 3 Standard ($699), this Advanced comes equipped with an upgraded controller, and DJI’s infamous Lightbridge video downlink. If you aren’t looking to pay for drone that can film in 4K like the Phantom 3 Professional, but still want upgraded features, look no further than the Phantom 3 Advanced.

The ultimate starter drone. The Hubsan X4 Series are incredibly durable and are perfect for indoor flying or learning how to fly in general. As opposed to the H107L, this model comes equipped with a 2 megapixel camera built-in. The quality of the stills are nothing to write home about, but by placing a camera under the aircraft’s nose, it gives the pilot in training a sense of spacial awareness early in the drone game. An awesome micro drone for all ages.

A holiday dilemma we commonly run into is when a customer says they want to start flying drones, but they already own a GoPro. Many feel like it would be redundant to purchase another camera for amateur aerial photography purposes. We hear you. And so does Yuneec.

The Typhoon Q500G was designed within their specification of their higher-end Typhoon Q500 4K, but this particular model is made for the sole purpose of housing a GoPro as the onboard camera. Yuneec has a reputation of providing the customer with amazing additions when you purchase one of their crafts. Their controller has a built-in tablet and the gimbal is not only detachable, it can be placed onto the CGO Steadygrip (free with purchase) to give you full control of shots where a drone can’t reach. As an added bonus, you can use the state-of-the-art Typhoon Wizard to control this aircraft’s every move.

If the price tag doesn’t scare you, this is absolutely the best aircraft on this list. A step (or two) above the Phantom 3 Professional, DJI pulled out all the stops with this one. Designed for the professional, but still user-friendly enough for an amateur. Unlike the Phantom 3 Series, the gimbal and camera are completely detachable and can be upgraded with any of DJI’s other Inspire cameras (X5 and X5R). It’s made with carbon fiber, transforms before takeoff, and has a sleek aerodynamic design. Out of the box, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Possibly the most versatile drone on this list. It’s smart modes are second to none when it comes to aerial photography and capturing video. 3DR billed this particular model as the “future-proof” drone. Meaning, with it’s onboard Linux computer running at 1Ghz and a steady flow of firmware updates, this beast looks like it’s going to be around for quite some time. You will have to purchase the gimbal separately, however. Plus, the main camera used for the Solo is a GoPro 3 or higher. There are similar cameras on the market that can work, but given that 3DR and GoPro partnered up for this project, you are likely to get the best results flying with a GoPro camera mounted underneath.